title: A compact CCD-monitored atomic force microscope with optical vision and improved performances.
abstract: A novel CCD-monitored atomic force microscope (AFM) with optical vision and improved performances has been developed. Compact optical paths are specifically devised for both tip-sample microscopic monitoring and cantilever's deflection detecting with minimized volume and optimal light-amplifying ratio. The ingeniously designed AFM probe with such optical paths enables quick and safe tip-sample approaching, convenient and effective tip-sample positioning, and high quality image scanning. An image stitching method is also developed to build a wider-range AFM image under monitoring. Experiments show that this AFM system can offer real-time optical vision for tip-sample monitoring with wide visual field and/or high lateral optical resolution by simply switching the objective; meanwhile, it has the elegant performances of nanometer resolution, high stability, and high scan speed. Furthermore, it is capable of conducting wider-range image measurement while keeping nanometer resolution.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mingyue
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Haijun
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dongxian
keywords: AFM; CCD-monitored; improved performances; optical vision